As Telangana braces for the upcoming local body elections, the principal opposition party—Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS)—and its first family, the Kalvakuntlas, find themselves entangled in yet another political and financial controversy. This time, it’s not over irrigation contracts, land deals, or excise scams, but over cricket—specifically, the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), a body now under intense legal and political scrutiny.
The latest scandal involves allegations that the BRS leadership orchestrated the appointment of Jaganmohan Rao—a businessman, educationist, and allegedly a distant relative of senior BRS leader T. Harish Rao—as President of the HCA. According to insiders and complaints filed by rival cricket bodies, Rao’s appointment was allegedly engineered by BRS MLC K. Kavitha in exchange for a hefty quid pro quo. Once affiliated with the Handball Association, Jaganmohan Rao’s sudden elevation to the top post in HCA—an organization flush with BCCI funds—has triggered suspicion and now legal heat.
The Telangana Cricket Association (TCA), an emerging rival body, has filed a petition with the state CID alleging large-scale corruption in the HCA elections. Their claim: Rao won by just one vote after spending over ₹10–12 crore to secure support from power brokers, former HCA office-bearers, and even opponents—allegedly paying some not to insist on a recount. The TCA has urged investigators not to spare key BRS figures, including K.T. Rama Rao and Kavitha, calling them “political enablers” of the scandal.
If proven true, these allegations could compound the BRS’s growing list of legal troubles. Former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao and his son KTR already face questions over alleged misappropriation of funds related to infrastructure projects and the controversial Hyderabad ePrix (Formula E car race). Kavitha, meanwhile, is under the Enforcement Directorate’s scanner in the now-infamous Delhi Excise Policy scam. With the HCA case now gathering steam, the entire Kalvakuntla clan appears under siege.
Sources say the Revanth Reddy-led Congress government has wasted no time in acting. The state police and CID have already arrested several HCA officials on charges ranging from forgery to criminal breach of trust. Given Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s longstanding political rivalry with the BRS patriarch, there’s also speculation that the government intends to fully expose the Kalvakuntla family’s alleged stranglehold over sports, politics, and public institutions during their nine-year rule.
Political analysts believe that HCA, once a sleepy sports body, became a lucrative target after BCCI funds began flowing in substantial amounts. Control over cricket in Telangana not only provides financial muscle but also widespread influence—especially ahead of polls. The BRS’s alleged decision to install a loyalist like Jaganmohan Rao was part of a broader strategy to retain institutional power even after losing the state government in 2023.
But the backlash has been swift. Disillusionment is said to be spreading within the BRS rank and file, particularly among grassroots workers who are unable to defend the party leadership amid cascading corruption charges. With municipal and zilla parishad polls nearing, the timing couldn’t be worse for a party trying to stay politically relevant after a bruising Assembly defeat.
Adding to BRS’s woes is the Congress government’s decision to reserve 40% of local body seats for Backward Classes (BCs)—a move hailed as historic and politically astute. While critics have called Revanth’s declaration that the Congress would rule “till 2036” a touch arrogant, the policy shift has undeniably energized party cadres and cornered the BRS further on the social justice plank.
As the investigation into the HCA scandal widens and the Kalvakuntlas find themselves dragged deeper into legal quagmire, Telangana’s political battleground is heating up. For the once-invincible BRS, the combination of legal peril and electoral setbacks could prove devastating, especially if the Congress manages to consolidate its recent gains.
In cricket, as in politics, it’s not over until the last ball is bowled. But for the BRS, the innings appears shaky, and the scoreboard is not looking good.
